The elm pruning ban initiated on April 1st has now been lifted. The ban is in place to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm Disease.
Parks manager for the City of Weyburn, Curtis Block, says the parks department annually surveys for symptomatic Dutch Elm Disease trees within the city, this year saw a slight decrease. 34 elm trees were identified as having the disease compared to 43 last year. Since 2017, 144 total elm trees have been identified and removed.
Block says Dutch Elm disease has been an issue all over southeast Saskatchewan. It is a fungal disease spread mainly by the native elm bark beetle.
“The Dutch Elm Disease fungus basically clogs the vascular tissue of the tree and will eventually kill a tree. Once an elm has been infected, there's no cure. The only course of action is removal and disposal.”
Now that the ban has been lifted residents are once again free to prune their elm trees, however all elmwood must be disposed of at the landfill, elm firewood should not be transported or stored as it contributes to the spread of disease.
Anyone seeking more information can check the City of Weyburn website under Dutch Elm Disease control or get in contact with the parks department.